Tote bag for carrying a plurality of wine bottles

ABSTRACT

A wine bottle carrier in the form of a tote bag having a plurality of non-rigid partition members provided in the interior thereof which define six wine bottle compartments to enable wine bottles to be inserted downwardly thereinto. A drawstring is provided at the upper end of the tote bag which may tightened to draw the upper ends of the wine bottles in the bottle compartments together to restrict the movement therebetween during carrying or transport to prevent breakage thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a wine carrier and more particularly to a totebag for carrying a number of wine bottles, preferably six bottles.

2. Description of the Related Art

Many different types of bags or sacks have been previously provided forcarrying a wine bottle from place to place. When a bottle of wine ispurchased at a store or the like, the wine bottle is normally placed ina paper sack. If less than a case of wine is purchased, each of thebottles is usually placed in a paper or plastic sack with the sacksbeing placed in a larger bag or sack. Frequently, the bottles are brokensince they may strike one another during carrying or while beingtransported in a vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,484 discloses a carrier inthe form of a tote bag which can accommodate two wine bottles. Althoughthe carrier of U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,484 provides a convenient means forcarrying two bottles of wine, the necks of the bottles are unrestrainedand may strike one another during carrying or transport thereby causingbreakage of one or both bottles. Further, there are times when it wouldbe convenient to be able to carry more than two wine bottles such aswhen a person purchases less than a case of wine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A wine bottle carrier is described which includes a tote bag including acarrying strap which extends upwardly therefrom. The tote bag has aplurality of partition members positioned in the interior thereof whichdefine at least four and preferably six bottle compartments having openupper ends to enable wine bottles to be inserted downwardly thereinto. Adrawstring is provided at the upper end of the tote bag which may betightened to draw the upper ends of the wine bottles in the bottlecompartments together to restrict the movement therebetween duringcarrying or transport to prevent breakage thereof. The tote bag alsoincludes a foldable semi-rigid bottom panel which may be folded with thebag and which may be positioned in a horizontal position to providesupport to the bottoms of the wine bottles in the compartments. Thebottle compartments are large enough to accommodate 1.5 liter winebottles.

It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide animproved wine bottle carrier.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a wine bottlecarrier of the tote bag type which is capable of accommodating sixbottles of wine therein.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a wine bottlecarrier of the type described which includes means for drawing the necksof the wine bottles therein towards one another to prevent breakage ofthe wine bottles during carrying or transport.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a wine bottle carrierof the tote bag type which is capable of accommodating 1.5 liter winebottles.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a wine bottlecarrier of the type described which may be folded flat when not beingused.

These and other objects will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the wine bottle carrier of thisinvention with the broken lines illustrating the partition memberswithin the carrier;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the wine bottle carrier ofthis invention in a folded position for storage;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the wine bottle carrier of this inventionillustrating wine bottles being positioned in the compartments thereof;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the wine bottle carrier of FIG. 3 illustratingthe closure at the upper end thereof being drawn together to move thenecks of the bottles towards one another to prevent their breakageduring carrying or transport;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the wine bottle carrier of this invention witha portion thereof cut away to more fully illustrate the invention;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 except that the closure at the upperend of the carrier has been closed to draw the necks of the bottlestherein towards one another to prevent their breakage; and

FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view of the wine bottle carrier withportions thereof cut away to more fully illustrate the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The numeral 10 refers to the tote bag or wine bottle carrier of thisinvention which includes opposite sides 12 and 14, opposite ends 16 and18, bottom 20 and an open upper end 22. Preferably, the bag isconstructed of a non-rigid polypropylene material which is waterproofand sufficiently flexible enough to enable the bag to be folded forstorage when not in use. A strap 24 is secured to the bag 10, as seen inthe drawings, so as to provide a pair of inverted, U-shaped handles 26and 28 which extend upwardly from the upper ends of sides 12 and 14,respectively. The strap 24 extends around the bottom of the bag 10 toprovide a more sturdy strap. As seen, the bag 10 has a generallyrectangular cross-section. The bag 10, as shown, is designed to carrysix wine bottles, but the same could be modified so as to carry eight,ten or twelve bottles if so desired.

A longitudinally extending, vertically disposed, non-rigid partition 30is positioned within the bag 10 and has its end edges 32 and 34 securedto the ends 16 and 18, respectively, by stitching 36 and 38,respectively. Stitching 36 and 38 not only secures the end edges 32 and34 of partition 30 to ends 16 and 18, but also provides fold lines inends 16 and 18 to facilitate the folding of the bag when not in use. Asseen, the upper end of partition 30 is spaced below the upper end of thebag 10.

Vertically disposed partition 40 has its outer end edge 42 secured toside 12 by stitching or the like and has its inner end edge 44 securedto partition 30 by stitching or the like. Vertically disposed partition46 has its outer end edge 48 secured to side 14 by stitching or the likeand has its inner end edge 50 secured to partition 30 by stitching orthe like.

Vertically disposed partition 52 has its outer end edge 54 secured toside 12 and has its inner end edge 56 secured to partition 30 bystitching or the like. Vertically disposed partition 58 has its outerend edge 60 secured to side 14 by stitching or the like and has itsinner end 62 secured to partition 30 by stitching or the like. Thepartitions 40, 46, 52 and 58 are preferably constructed of a non-rigidor flexible material such as polypropylene or the like. The upper endsor partitions 40, 46, 52 and 58 dwell in the same plane as the upper endof partition 30. As seen, the partitions 30, 40, 46, 52 and 58 definesix wine bottle compartments C₁, C₂, C₃, C₄, C₅ and C₆. If only twobottles are to be carried in the bag 10, they may be laced incompartments C₃ and C₄. If four bottles are to be carried in the bag 10,they may be placed in compartments C₁, C₂, C₅ and C₆. The bag 10 may beconstructed in a larger manner with additional partitions being utilizedto enable the bag 10 to carry eight, ten, twelve, etc., bottles. Thecompartments are large enough to accommodate 1.5 liter wine bottles.

Bag 10 is provided with one or more drawstrings 63 at the upper end ofthe bag 10 together with a locking retainer 64 so that the upper end ofthe bag 10 may be drawn together which draws the necks of the bottlestogether into engagement with one another to prevent the bottles fromstriking one another during carrying or transport to prevent breakage ofthe bottles which could otherwise occur if the upper ends of the bottlesin the compartments were not restrained, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and6.

A pair of semi-rigid, flat, rectangular bottom supports 66 and 68 aresecured to bottom 20 of bag 20 to not only provide support to thebottles in the compartments, but to also permit the bottom 20 to befolded at the inner edges of the supports 66 and 68 when the bag is notbeing used. The folding of the bag 10 is also enhanced by the fold linescreated in the ends 16 and 18 by the stitching 36 and 38.

Thus it can be seen that the invention accomplishes at least all of itsstated objectives.

1. A wine bottle carrier, comprising: a tote bag including a non-rigidbottom, opposite sides, opposite ends, and an open upper end; a carrystrap secured to said tote bag; a first, vertically disposed, non-rigidpartition member secured to said opposite ends of said tote bag andextending therebetween; a second, vertically disposed, non-rigidpartition member secured to the interior of one of said sides of saidtote bag and to said first partition member and extending therebetween;a third, vertically disposed, non-rigid partition member secured to theinterior of the other side of said tote bag and to said first partitionmember and extending therebetween in alignment with said secondpartition member; a fourth, vertically disposed, non-rigid partitionmember secured to said one side of said tote bag and to said firstpartition member and which extends therebetween and which is spaced fromsaid second partition member; a fifth, vertically disposed, non-rigidpartition member secured to said other side of said tote bag and to saidfirst partition member and which extends therebetween and which isspaced from said third partition member; said partition members definingsix bottle compartments having open upper ends to enable wine bottles tobe inserted downwardly thereinto; and a drawstring at the upper end ofsaid tote bag which may be tightened to draw the upper ends of the winebottles in the bottle compartments together to restrict the movementtherebetween during carrying or transport to prevent breakage thereof.2. The carrier of claim 1 wherein said partition members have upper endswhich are disposed below the upper ends of the bottles in the bottlecompartments.
 3. The carrier of claim 1 wherein said tote bag has agenerally rectangular cross-section.
 4. The carrier of claim 1 whereineach of said ends of said tote bag have fold lines formed therein by theattachment of the ends of said first partition member thereto.
 5. Thecarrier of claim 3 wherein first and second semi-rigid rectangularsupport members are positioned at the interior surface of said bottom ofsaid tote bag to provide support for the bottles in the bottlecompartments and to permit the bottom of the tote bag to be folded inhalf for storage when the bottles have been removed from the bottlecompartments.